Flooding on the Dunton turn-off on the A127 is causing problems.

Police have sectioned off part of the slip road and a Micra was spotted struggling to through the deluge of water.

Nearer the roundabout a white van had konked out after being hit by the flood water.

The knock-on effect were near misses on the A127, Southend-bound track, as drivers broke hard as they approached the problem.

One driver said: "The police should either shut the slip road or leave it open. Shutting part of it is no good. It is causing more problems than it is worth.

"I was very nearly involved in a pile-up. And that was not the start to Christmas I would have been looking for!"